Thoughts  on  Holy  Week 

By  Thomas  A.  Kempis 


Morris 


On  Calvary  after  the  Crucifixion 


oughts  on  Holy  Weel 


By 

THOMAS  A  KEMPIS 


New  York 
THE  PAULIST  PRESS 
401  West  59th  Street 


THOUGHTS  ON   HOLY  WEEK 
O  My  Soul 

bewail  as  best  thou  mayest  the  most 
cruel  death  of  the  Lord  thy  God,  Who 
loved  thee  with  so  vast  a  love;  think 
how  Jesus  died,  and  of  the  signs  which 
marked  His  departure  from  the  world. 
See  how  the  Holy  One  and  the  Just 
dies,  and  no  man  lays  it  to  heart:  no 
one,  save  His  poor  sorrowful  Mother 
(who,  with  a  scanty  following  of  her 
friends,  stands  weeping  at  the  Cross' 
foot)  realizes  Who,  and  how  mighty  He 
was.  She  indeed  has  seen  her  most 
dearly-loved  Son  hang  there  above  her, 
with  His  Body  naked  and  covered  with 
blood;  she  has  seen  Him  growing  paler 
and  paler;  she  has  seen  Him  in  His 
agony;  she  has  heard  Him  crying  with 
a  loud  voice,  as  He  yielded  up  the 
Ghost.  What  wonder,  then,  that  she 
was  overwhelmed  with  grief,  that  the 
blood  left  her  cheeks,  and  that  her  soul 
fainted  within  her  when  her  Savior 
hung  before  her  lifeless  on  His  Cross. 
Stand  thou,  then,  by  Mary's  side,  and 
meditate  with  a  sad  heart  upon  the 


4  THOUGHTS  ON  HOLY  WEEK 


death  of  Jesus.  Jesus,  Who  had  done 
no  wrong  to  any  man,  dies  naked  and 
as  a  slave;  nowhere  could  anyone  be 
found  in  worse  case  than  His.  No  one 
was  ever  so  dear  to  God,  no  one  was 
ever  more  despised  of  men,  than  was 
Jesus  of  Nazareth,  Who  was  crucified 
by  Jews.  See  how  the  world  repaid 
Him  for  all  the  mighty  works  and  won- 
ders He  had  wrought  in  it.  He  is  put 
to  death  as  if  He  were  the  vilest  of  rob- 
bers; He  dies  as  if  He  were  the  poorest 
of  men.  The  deathbed  of  Jesus  is  not 
of  down,  but  is  the  hard  wood  of  the 
Cross:  He  dies  with  no  house  or  even 
roof  to  cover  Him,  but  in  the  open  air, 
on  a  spot  loathsome  and  disgusting; 
not  in  a  private  chamber,  but  at  the 
place  of  public  execution;  not  sur- 
rounded by  His  disciples,  but  between 
two  thieves;  not  in  His  Mother's  em- 
brace, but  nailed  to  the  arms  of  a  lofty 
Cross.  Beneath  Him  He  had  not  even 
a  bundle  of  straw;  to  cover  Him  He  had 
not  even  a  piece  of  the  cheapest  sack- 
cloth. No  pillow  had  He  for  His  Head; 
but  there  was  given  Him  instead  a 
wreath  of  sharp  thorns.   No  shoes  had 


THOUGHTS  ON  HOLY  WEEK  5 


He  for  His  Feet,  or  gloves  for  His 
Hands;  but  instead  of  these,  iron  nails 
driven  through  both  Hands  and  Feet, 
piercing  both  flesh  and  bones.  In  His 
supreme  need  He  had  not  even  one  at- 
tendant; but  He  had  to  tolerate  instead 
a  loathsome  companion,  to  wit,  an  im- 
penitent thief,  who  all  the  while  was 
blaspheming  Him.  Comforter  not  only 
had  He  none;  but  He  was  forsaken  by 
almost  all  those  who  had  once  been  His 
followers  and  familiar  friends.  He 
could  move  neither  hand  nor  foot,  nor 
was  He  able  to  relieve  His  pain  by  turn- 
ing from  side  to  side.  There  He  hangs 
nailed  fast  to  His  Cross,  stretched  out 
till  He  can  be  stretched  no  further,  tor- 
tured to  the  limit  of  endurance,  racked 
in  every  limb,  with  no  one  to  care  for 
Him,  no  one  to  help  Him,  no  one  to 
comfort  Him,  heartbroken.  His  Tongue 
was  all  that  was  left  Him  free  to  use; 
and  He  used  it  in  praying  for  His  ene- 
mies, and  in  preaching  to  us  from  the 
pulpit  of  the  Cross  His  seven  most 
wholesome  Words  against  the  seven 
deadly  sins.  But  even  His  Tongue  was 
not  left  without  its  torments;  for  when 


6  THOUGHTS  ON  HOLY  WEEK 


He  was  athirst  it  was  steeped  in  gall  and 
vinegar.  From  the  soles  of  His  Feet 
therefore  to  the  top  of  His  Head,  Jesus 
is  overwhelmed  in  the  sea  of  His  Pas- 
sion; and  about  the  ninth  hour  He  cries 
out  with  a  loud  voice,  and  dies. 

What  and  how  great 

must  He  have  been  Who  with  this  cry 
draws  His  last  breath;  at  Whose  pass- 
ing away  both  Heaven  and  Earth 
mourn;  at  the  sight  of  Whom  death 
takes  to  flight;  at  Whose  call  the  dead 
return  to  life;  at  seeing  Whom  the  gates 
of  death  are  broken  down;  Whose  pres- 
ence the  devil  cannot  endure;  Whose 
power  none  can  resist;  before  Whom 
Hell  trembles;  Whom  Heaven  adores; 
Whom  Angels  serve,  and  Archangels 
obey;  at  the  brightness  of  Whose  shin- 
ing Limbo  becomes  radiant  with  light, 
the  Saints  rejoice,  chains  fall  off,  and 
hosts  of  captive  souls  are  set  free.  "In- 
deed," says  the  Centurion,  "this  was 
the  Son  of  God";  for  that  blessed  man, 
seeing  that  Jesus,  after  so  crying  out, 
had  breathed  His  last,  understands  that 
the  Human  Body  was  indwelt  by  the  in- 


THOUGHTS  ON  HOLY  WEEK  7 


visible  God,  and  straightway  confesses 
that  He,  Whom  the  Jews  had  mocked 
and  crucified,  was  the  Son  of  God. 
Signs  are  wrought  in  Heaven  above, 
and  on  the  earth  beneath;  the  elements 
wait  upon  Christ;  the  sun  is  darkened 
at  high  noon,  because  it  shrinks  from 
seeing  Him  die;  the  earth  quakes  with 
fear,  because  it  cannot  quietly  endure 
the  insult  offered  to  God ;  rocks  are  rent 
asunder,  and  with  loud  noises  compas- 
sionate their  Creator.  The  veil  of  the 
Temple  is  rent;  the  graves  also  are 
opened  in  order  that  the  Resurrection 
of  Christ  with  many  Saints  might  be 
shown  to  be  close  at  hand. 

Many  there  were 

who  had  come  together  to  that  sight, 
and  saw  the  wonderful  things  that  were 
done,  who  were  pricked  in  their  hearts, 
and  returned  smiting  their  breasts.  Re- 
tire thou,  too,  O  my  soul,  into  thy  inner 
self;  mourn  with  those  who  mourn, 
weep  with  those  who  weep  for  Christ; 
lest  thou  be  found  harder  than  the 
rocks,  and  more  faithless  than  the  Jews. 
Blessed  are  those  tears  which  are  shed 


8  THOUGHTS  ON  HOLY  WEEK 


for  love  of  the  Crucified.  It  is  a  duti- 
ful and  a  very  pleasant  thing  to  weep 
for  so  sweet  a  Lord.  It  is  a  great  solace 
to  a  lover's  soul  to  weep  freely  in  com- 
passionating the  loved  one.  Jesus  Him- 
self wept  often  for  the  woes  of  men; 
and  moved  by  His  boundless  pity,  when 
tears  failed,  He  shed  for  us  His  Blood. 
Thy  Lord  Jesus  Christ  died  for  thee 
upon  the  Cross:  henceforth  therefore 
let  this  world  be  dead  to  thee.  Learn 
from  the  death  of  Jesus  to  keep  ever  in 
mind  thy  own  death;  and  strive  also  to 
prepare  thyself  to  die,  for  thou  know- 
est  not  when  thy  Lord  will  come;  thou 
knowest  not  when  thy  Maker  will  call 
thee  hence.  Watch  and  pray  always, 
that  so  thou  may  est  be  found  ready. 
So  act,  and  so  speak,  as  if  this  day  were 
to  be  thy  last.  Learn  to  die  before 
death  comes,  that  so  when  it  does  come, 
it  may  not  seem  to  thee  a  prison-house, 
but  rather  the  gate  of  life.  Christ  is 
dead  and  the  prophets  are  dead;  and 
soon  thou,  too,  must  go  the  way  in  which 
thy  fathers  have  gone  before  thee.  But 
great  is  the  hope,  very  great  the  com- 
fort, of  those  words  of  Jesus :  "He  that 


THOUGHTS  ON  HOLY  WEEK  9 


believeth  in  Me,  although  he  be  dead, 
shall  live";  and  again:  "He  who  hear- 
eth  My  word,  and  believeth  Him  that 
sent  Me,  hath  life  everlasting."  In  this 
life,  then,  make  Jesus  thy  Friend,  that 
in  the  life  which  is  to  come  thou  may  est 
find  mercy  at  His  Hands. 

Go  also  with  Jesus  and  His  disciples 
into  the  garden  near  the  Mount  of 
Olives;  and  pray  to  our  Heavenly  Fa- 
ther for  a  good  end  of  thy  earthly  pil- 
grimage. Go  down  upon  thy  knees 
with  Jesus,  fall  upon  thy  face,  put  thy- 
self into  God's  Hands,  and  use  those 
most  perfect  words  of  Christ:  "Father, 
not  My  Will,  but  Thine  be  done";  for 
He  knows  well,  whether  to  live  or  to  die 
is  best  for  thy  soul's  health.  In  every 
trial  that  besets  thee  go  to  Jesus,  and 
follow  Him  as  He  bears  His  Cross  to 
the  Hill  of  Calvary.  There  take  thy 
stand,  choose  there  to  end  thy  life,  and 
there  commend  thy  spirit,  too.  Put  the 
Passion  and  the  Death  of  Jesus  between 
thee  and  the  judgment  to  come,  and 
keep  thy  eyes  ever  fixed  upon  the 
Crucified.  When  the  devil  seeks  to 
terrify  thee,  invoke  the  Name  of  Jesus 


10  THOUGHTS  ON  HOLY  WEEK 


and  raise  the  standard  of  the  Holy 
Cross.  If  he  casts  in  thy  teeth  thy  past 
misdeeds  and  thy  many  sins,  answer 
him  by  pleading  the  infinite  merits  of 
Christ. 

Call  to  mind 

also  the  seven  Words  of  Jesus,  which 
He  spoke  from  the  Cross  for  thy  in- 
struction. 

As  soon  as  He  had  been  raised  upon 
His  Cross,  He  prayed  for  His  enemies, 
and  forgave  those  who  were  ill-treating 
Him ;  and  this  He  did  in  order  that  thou 
mightest  learn  to  forgive  from  the  heart 
those  who  have  wronged  thee,  before 
thou  pleadest  for  thy  own  forgiveness. 

Next,  He  promised  to  the  penitent 
thief  the  joys  of  Paradise  and  this  He 
did  in  order  that  thou  shouldst  not  de- 
spair by  reason  of  the  grievous  burden 
of  thy  sins;  but  shouldst,  with  full  trust 
in  His  mercy,  ask  Him  to  remember 
thee  in  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven. 

Thirdly,  He  committed  His  most 
blessed  Virgin  Mother  to  the  chaste 
John;  and  this  He  did  in  order  that 
thou,  in  thy  agony,  shouldst  confidently 


THOUGHTS  ON  HOLY  WEEK  II 


have  recourse  to  Mary,  His  most  gentle 
Mother,  who  is  the  helper  of  those  who 
are  in  need,  and  shouldst  earnestly  com- 
mend thyself  to  her,  and  to  the  blessed 
Apostle  John,  and  to  all  the  Saints. 

Fourthly,  Jesus  made  it  plain  that  He 
was  left  alone  in  His  anguish;  and  this 
He  did  in  order  that  thou,  when  thou 
hast  a  heavy  burden  of  pain  to  bear, 
shouldst  not  be  impatient  at  not  at  once 
finding  relief  from  it,  but  shouldst  sub- 
mit thyself  in  all  things  to  God's  Holy 
Will  and  pleasure. 

Fifthly,  He  said:  "I  thirst,"  in  order 
that  thou  shouldst  have  a  burning  thirst 
after  God,  Who  is  the  Fountain  of  liv- 
ing water,  and  shouldst  long  to  depart, 
and  to  be  with  Christ;  for  this  is  far 
better  than  to  prolong  thy  sojourn  upon 
earth,  and  to  be  further  exposed  to  dan- 
gers of  every  kind. 

Sixthly,  He  spoke  the  Word:  "It  is 
finished,"  in  order  that  thou,  when  thou 
perceivest  thy  last  hour  to  be  at  hand, 
shouldst  render  thanks  to  God  for  every 
good  action  of  thy  life,  and  shouldst 
pray  that  thy  shortcomings  may  be  sup- 
plied by  the  merits  of  Christ. 


12  THOUGHTS  ON  HOLY  WEEK 


Lastly,  with  a  loud  voice  He  com- 
mended His  soul  into  the  Father's 
Hands,  in  order  that  at  the  hour  of  thy 
departure  from  the  world  thou,  too, 
shouldst  not  fail  to  have  upon  thy 
tongue,  and  often  to  repeat,  the  words 
of  that  blessed  commendation,  than 
which  thou  canst  not  find  anything 
more  sweet  to  be  remembered  at  the 
last. 

Alas,  alas,  my  Jesus, 

fairest  of  men,  the  comeliness  of  Thy 
pleasant  countenance  has  been  marred 
by  the  filthy  spitting  upon  Thee  of  men 
of  unclean  lips,  and  in  Thy  contest  with 
death  Thou  hast  lost  the  bloom  of  Thy 
beauteous  manhood!  Alas,  my  most 
loving  God,  all  these  things  have  be- 
fallen Thee  because  my  sins  had  to  be 
washed  away:  it  was  in  order  that  my 
soul  might  be  made  white,  that  Thou 
didst  submit  Thy  Body  to  be  made 
unsightly;  it  was  to  save  me  from  death 
eternal,  that  Thou  didst  taste  for  a 
while  the  most  cruel  of  deaths.  O 
death,  what  hast  thou  done?  How  is  it 
that  thou  wast  not  afraid  to  lay  thy 


THOUGHTS  ON  HOLY  WEEK  13 


hand  upon  the  Lord's  Anointed?  What 
power  hadst  thou  over  Him ;  what  crime 
couldst  thou  lay  to  the  charge  of  the 
Son  of  God?  Thou  hast  fallen  upon 
Him,  and  slain  Him;  but  thy  victory 
hast  cost  thee  dear :  for  in  slaying  Him 
thou  hast  slain  thyself;  impaled  upon 
the  stake  of  Christ's  Divinity,  thou 
hast  brought  to  an  end  thy  cruel  reign : 
and  on  the  descent  into  Hell  of  the  Soul 
of  Christ  thou  hast  been  compelled  to 
set  free  all  the  Saints,  dead  because  of 
Adam's  sin,  who  had  so  long  been  held 
captive  by  the  prince  of  darkness.  As 
indeed  the  Prophet  had  long  since  fore- 
told: "O  death,  I  will  be  thy  death;  O 
hell,  I  will  be  thy  sting." 

By  Thy  death,  therefore,  O  Christ, 
the  hope  of  life  is  mine  once  more,  and 
by  Thy  victory  over  the  prince  of  death 
a  crown  of  joy  is  given  me.  Abundant 
indeed,  and  manifold,  was  the  grace 
which  flowed  forth  from  Thee,  when 
Thou  didst  die  upon  the  Cross  in  order 
that  we  might  live;  for  original  sin  is 
done  away,  actual  sin  is  forgiven,  par- 
don is  extended  to  all,  the  sentence  is 
modified,  vengeance  is  stayed,  every 


14  THOUGHTS  ON  HOLY  WEEK 


debt  is  wiped  out;  to  no  contrite  soul  is 
mercy  denied;  for  of  Thy  Passion  the 
merit  is  inexhaustible. 

Oh  the  wonder 

of  the  never-to-be-forgotten  mystery — 
man  earning  salvation  through  the  mer- 
its of  the  Cross,  winning  a  kingdom 
through  its  offense;  entering  into 
glory  through  an  exacted  penalty; 
brought  through  death  into  life  ever- 
lasting! Thy  Passion,  therefore,  O 
Lord,  is  of  all  things  the  most  sacred; 
it  is  for  all  wounds  a  sovereign  remedy; 
Thy  Cross  is  the  downfall  of  all  who 
are  against  us;  it  is  the  safeguard  of  all 
who  trust  in  Thee;  Thy  death  is  the 
penalty  by  which  all  our  faults  are  ex- 
piated, it  is  the  foundation  of  all  our 
virtues.  I  will  rejoice,  then,  in  Thy 
merits  and  in  the  fruits  of  Thy  Passion, 
and  I  will  ever  take  comfort  from  the 
thought  that  Thou  hast  redeemed  me; 
but  my  love  for  Thee  must  ever  make 
me  grieve  over  Thy  cruel  death.  It  is 
love  that  makes  me  rejoice  with  Thee  in 
Thy  victory  over  death;  and  it  is  love 
that  makes  me  bewail  Thy  having  had 


THOUGHTS  ON  HOLY  WEEK  15 


to  bear  such  a  heavy  load  of  anguish 
for  my  sake. 

Come  then,  O  faithful  soul, 

and  look  upon  the  pale  and  careworn 
features  of  thy  crucified  Savior;  mark 
each  several  limb  of  Jesus  Who  is  dead, 
and  let  the  greatness  of  thy  compas- 
sion make  thine  eyes  run  down  with 
tears.  Thy  time  is  well  spent,  very  sa- 
cred are  thy  thoughts,  when  thou  art 
occupied  in  contemplating  Jesus  hang- 
ing on  the  Cross.  As  a  cluster  of  cypress 
in  the  vineyard  of  Engaddi,  so  is  the 
thought  of  the  Crucified  in  the  heart  of 
a  good  man.  If,  then,  thine  eye  is  piti- 
ful, if  thou  hast  in  thee  aught  of  the 
milk  of  human  kindness,  lift  up  the  eyes 
of  thy  mind  to  meditate  upon  God,  cruci- 
fied for  thee,  hanging  dead  upon  the 
Cross.  There  before  thee  is  the  Tree  of 
the  Cross,  upon  which  hangs  thy  Salva- 
tion; of  the  devout  the  Redemption,  of 
unbelievers  the  laughing-stock.  His  life- 
less, thorn-crowned  Head  is  bowed  low 
upon  His  sacred  Breast.  The  Eyes  of 
Him  from  Whose  all-seeing  Eyes  no  se- 
cret can  be  hid,  are  sightless  now.  The 


16  THOUGHTS  ON  HOLY  WEEK 


Ears  of  Him  Who  foreknows  all  things, 
hear  nothing  now.  He  Who  gives  to 
flowers  the  sweetness  of  their  scent, 
smells  nothing  now.  The  sense  of  taste 
has  gone  from  Him  Who  gives  to  all 
things  that  have  life  their  life  and  food. 
He  Who  makes  the  dumb  to  speak  opens 
His  lips  no  more.  He  Who  teaches  men 
knowledge  is  silent  now.  That  Tongue 
which  preached  the  truth  lies  useless  in 
His  Throat.  That  Face,  which  once 
was  brighter  than  the  sun,  is  now  dead- 
ly pale.  Those  Cheeks,  which  once 
were  fair  as  a  turtledove's,  are  fair  no 
longer.  Those  Hands,  by  which  the 
heavens  were  spread  out,  are  pierced 
now  with  cruel  nails.  The  Knees,  so 
often  bent  in  prayer,  hang  now  limp 
and  powerless.  The  Legs,  which  like 
marble  pillars  used  to  support  the 
Body's  weight,  have  now  lost  all  their 
strength.  The  Feet,  which  were  so 
often  weary  when  the  Gospel  was  be- 
ing preached,  are  now  as  tightly  fas- 
tened to  the  wood  of  the  Cross  as  if  they 
were  fixed  in  the  stocks.  It  can  be  seen 
that  every  Limb  has  been  in  agony; 
they  are  each  one  covered  with  wounds 


THOUGHTS  ON  HOLY  WEEK  17 


and  blood.  But  His  bones  are  not  bro- 
ken, as  are  the  bones  of  the  thieves: 
and  this  is  in  order  that  the  Scripture 
might  be  fulfilled;  for  He  is  the  true 
Lamb,  prefigured  in  the  Book  of  the 
Law,  the  bones  of  which  were  ordered 
to  be  kept  unbroken.  This  is  my  Be- 
loved, O  ye  daughters  of  Jerusalem; 
this  is  my  Friend;  and  it  is  to  this  pass 
that  death  has  brought  Him,  in  ex- 
change for  Whose  Death — so  precious 
was  He — if  I  could  submit  to  a  thou- 
sand deaths,  I  could  make  no  due  re- 
turn for  His  love. 

0  Most  Sweet  Jesus, 

Redeemer  of  my  soul,  how  can  I  win  to 
die  with  Thee  upon  the  Cross;  how,  at 
my  departure  from  the  body,  can  I  ob- 
tain such  happiness?  Grant,  I  earnest- 
ly beseech  Thee,  that  in  this  frail  body 

1  may  so  live,  so  order  all  my  doings 
and  all  my  affections  in  accordance  with 
Thy  Will,  that  I  may  be  able  to  finish 
my  course  in  a  state  of  grace;  and  in 
spite  of  all  the  temptations  which  beset 
me,  may  receive  at  last  the  crown  of  joy 
eternal. 


18  THOUGHTS  ON  HOLY  WEEK 


Under  the  Old  Dispensation, 

Moses,  the  Servant  of  the  Lord,  smote 
the  rock  in  the  wilderness,  and  thereout 
came  there  forth  so  plenteous  a  supply 
of  water  that  the  people  and  their  cattle 
drank  thereof  with  joy,  and  no  longer 
murmured.  But  the  brawny  soldier 
Longinus,  when  he  opened  Christ's 
right  Side,  struck  the  Rock  with  his 
lance  so  fierce  a  blow,  that  thereout 
Blood  and  water  have  never  ceased  to 
pour;  and  our  holy  Mother  the  Church 
has  drawn  therefrom  the  Sacraments, 
by  means  of  which  her  life  is  preserved : 
for  as  Eve  is  called  the  mother  of  all 
living,  and  was  formed  from  her  husband 
Adam's  rib,  so  is  the  Holy  Church  mili- 
tant named  the  Mother  of  all  the  faith- 
ful, and  she  is  the  new  creation  from 
the  Side  of  Christ,  her  Spouse.  O 
mighty  and  precious  Wound  of  my 
Lord,  worthy  of  love  art  Thou  above 
all  wounds;  so  deep  and  so  wide  art 
Thou  that  all  the  faithful  may  enter 
by  Thee  into  the  Side  of  Christ;  mirac- 
ulous art  Thou  in  what  flows  from 
Thee;  most  copious  in  blessings;  in 
*ime  last  formed,  in  glory  preeminent. 


THOUGHTS  ON  HOLY  WEEK  19 


Of  the  divine  and  holy  fountain  of  this 
Wound  whosoever  shall  drink,  or  of  its 
love  taste  but  one  drop,  he  shall  forget 
all  his  evil  deeds,  shall  be  cured  of  the 
fever  of  carnal  and  worldly  desires, 
shall  burn  with  love  for  the  things 
which  are  eternal,  shall  be  filled  with 
the  joy  unspeakable  of  the  Holy  Spirit; 
and  this  Holy  Fountain  shall  become  in 
him  a  fountain  of  living  water  spring- 
ing up  unto  everlasting  life. 

Go  in,  go  in,  my  soul, 

into  the  right  Side  of  thy  crucified 
Lord!  Enter  through  that  glorious 
Wound  into  the  most  loving  Heart  of 
Jesus,  pierced  with  the  lance  for  love 
of  thee,  that  so  in  the  cleft  of  that  Rock 
thou  mayest  take  refuge  from  the  tem- 
pest of  the  world.  Draw  near,  O  man 
to  that  Heart  so  exalted,  but  made  sc 
low  for  thee;  to  the  Heart  of  God,  Whc 
is  so  far  above  thee,  but  Who  opens  tc 
thee  His  door!  Come  in,  thou  blessed 
of  the  Lord ;  why  dost  thou  stand  with- 
out? The  river  of  life,  the  way  of  sal- 
vation, the  heavenly  storehouse,  shed- 
ding perfumes  all  around;  all  these  lie 


20         THOUGHTS  ON  HOLY  WEEK 


open  to  thee.  Here  is  a  place  of  refuge 
from  the  face  of  the  enemy  who  would 
tempt  thee,  here  is  a  place  in  which 
thou  mayest  find  mercy  against  the 
wrath  of  the  judgment  to  come.  Here 
is  a  fountain,  whence  the  oil  of  glad- 
ness and  of  grace  shall  never  cease  to 
flow,  wherein  sinners  may  ever  find 
mercy,  if  only  they  will  come  to  it 
with  hearts  truly  penitent  and  contrite. 
Here  is  the  wellspring  of  the  river  of 
God,  going  forth  from  the  midst  of 
Paradise  to  water  the  face  of  the  earth, 
to  give  the  thirsty  soul  to  drink,  to  wash 
away  sins,  to  quench  the  flames  of  lust, 
to  still  the  strivings  of  anger.  Do  thou, 
too,  then,  take  from  this  Fountain  of 
the  Savior  a  cup  of  love.  Take  from 
the  Side  of  Jesus  sweet  helps  for  thy 
life,  that  henceforth  thou  mayest  live 
not  in  thyself,  but  in  Him  Who  was 
wounded  for  thee.  Give  thy  heart  to 
Him,  Who  has  opened  His  to  thee.  En- 
ter through  the  hallowed  Wound  into 
the  inmost  Heart  of  the  Redeemer.  He 
bids  thee  enter;  He  asks  thee  to  dwell 
with  Him ;  His  wish  is  that  thou  shouldst 
have  but  one  heart  with  Him.  "My 


THOUGHTS  ON  HOLY  WEEK  21 


son,"  He  says  to  thee,  "give  Me  thy 
heart."  This  is  all  that  God  asks  of 
thee;  give  but  this,  and  thou  hast  of- 
fered the  gift  than  which  nothing  can 
be  more  acceptable  to  Him.  Give  it, 
then,  to  Jesus,  and  to  none  else  besides: 
give  it  to  Christ,  and  not  to  the  world: 
give  thy  heart  to  that  Wisdom  which 
will  never  fail  thee,  not  to  that  philoso- 
phy which  is  so  but  in  name.  He 
caused  His  Side  to  be  thrown  so  wide- 
ly open,  and  to  be  so  deeply  pierced,  in 
order  that  the  way  by  which  thou 
mightest,  in  singleness  of  heart,  do  all 
Beloved  should  be  made  plain  to  thee; 
in  order  that  thou  mightest  penetrate 
into  the  very  Soul  of  the  Son  of  God, 
and  be  made  one  with  Him  in  true 
union  of  heart;  that  thou  mightest  cen- 
ter all  thy  affections  upon  Him,  and 
mightest  draw  near  to  the  Heart  of  thy 
thy  works  to  His  honor  and  glory;  that 
thou  mightest  study  to  please  Him 
alone,  and  mightest  strive  with  all  thy 
mind  and  with  all  thy  strength  to  serve 
Him,  and  Him  only. 


22  THOUGHTS  ON  HOLY  WEEK 


Thither  then 

make  all  the  eager  loving  haste  which 
thou  canst  make  bold  to  show;  kiss  the 
holy  Side  of  Jesus,  that  so  Therefrom 
thou  mayest  be  sprinkled  with  water 
and  with  Blood.  Pull  out  thy  own 
heart,  if  thou  canst,  and  place  it  close 
to  the  Heart  of  Jesus,  in  order  that  He 
may  keep  it,  and  rule  it,  and  possess 
it,  so  that  other  things  may  not  get  hold 
of  it,  and  defile  it.  Open  thy  heart  to 
Him;  commit  thyself  in  full  trust  to 
Him;  leave  to  Him  thy  "I  will"  and  "I 
won't";  let  there  be  one  heart  and  one 
mind  between  thee  and  God;  that  so 
thou  mayest  think  and  feel  with  Him 
in  all  things,  and  mayest  know  His 
Holy  Will  both  now  and  evermore. 
When  without  reserve  thou  shalt  have 
made  over  thy  heart  to  Jesus,  for  Him 
to  keep  and  dwell  therein  forever,  then 
shall  great  peace  be  thine,  nor  shalt 
thou  be  easily  put  out,  or  distressed  by 
the  troubles  of  thy  daily  life. 

O  Most  Pure  Jesus, 

Who  dwellest  in  the  hearts  of  those  who 
love  Thee,  and  from  Whom  all  good  de- 


THOUGHTS  ON  HOLY  WEEK  23 


sires  do  come;  O  Thou  Who  hangest 
upon  the  Cross  before  the  eyes  of  all 
who  meditate  upon  Thy  Passion;  O 
Divine  treasure-house  of  all  gifts  and 
graces;  O  Christ  my  King,  Redeemer 
of  the  faithful,  Who  causeth  Thy  most 
holy  Side  to  be  pierced  by  the  point  of 
a  cruel  lance;  set  open  for  me,  I  beseech 
Thee,  the  door  of  Thy  mercy;  suffer 
me  to  enter  through  the  gaping  Wound 
of  Thy  Side  into  the  very  recesses  of 
Thy  most  loving  Heart;  that  so  my 
heart  may  be  set  on  fire  by  the  touch  of 
Thine,  and  may  be  united  to  Thee  by  a 
bond  of  love  so  indissoluble,  that  Thou 
mayest  dwell  in  me,  and  I  in  Thee,  and 
that  nothing  may  ever  separate  me  from 
Thee.  Pierce  my  heart  with  the  arrow 
of  Thy  love,  may  the  soldier's  spear 
pass  through  my  vitals,  and  penetrate 
the  inmost  recesses  of  my  heart,  that  so, 
by  means  of  this  wholesome  wound,  my 
soul  may  attain  perfect  health,  I  may 
refuse  all  love  but  Thine,  and  out  of 
Thee  may  nowhere  seek  for  comfort. 
May  my  heart  be  free  of  access  and  lie 
open  to  Thee  alone;  may  it  be  estranged 
from  the  world,  shut  to  the  devil,  and 


24         THOUGHTS  ON  HOLY  WEEK 


fenced  on  all  sides  by  the  Sign  of  the 
Cross  to  resist  temptation  of  every  kind. 

Joseph  of  Arimathea, 

and  Nicodemus,  a  Doctor  of  the  Law, 
came  with  their  servants  to  the  Cross, 
and  having  set  up  ladders  against  it, 
mounted  one  on  the  right  and  another 
on  the  left,  while  a  third  was  engaged  in 
loosing  Thy  Feet.  With  due  reverence 
and  love,  they  drew  from  Thy  sacred 
Hands  and  Feet  three  precious  nails, 
more  precious  than  burnished  gold;  and 
then  with  the  help  of  their  companions, 
they  reverently  took  hold  of  Thy  most 
illustrious  Body,  and  modestly  and 
carefully  lowered  It  to  the  ground. 

Blessed  and  full  of  pity  were  ye,  who 
did  this  act  of  mercy  to  the  Lord  your 
God,  in  order  to  prepare  His  Body  for 
the  grave;  ye  were  careful  to  show  even 
more  faithful  devotion  to  your  Friend 
when  He  was  dead  than  ye  had  shown 
to  Him  when  He  was  alive.  Therefore 
in  Heaven  shall  ye  receive  a  special  re- 
ward from  God,  to  Whom  ye  showed 
yourselves  so  faithful  upon  earth:  and 
without  doubt  He  for  Whom  ye  pre- 


THOUGHTS  ON  HOLY  WEEK  25 


pared  a  burial  place  upon  earth  will  re- 
ward your  loving  care  by  preparing  for 
you  a  happy  mansion  in  Heaven,  as  on 
the  night  before  His  Death  He  prom- 
ised His  disciples. 

Oh,  that  to  me,  too,  the  least  of  all 
God's  servants,  might  have  been  granted 
some  share  in  the  Burial  of  my  Lord; 
that  in  the  offices  connected  with  it, 
some  service,  however  small,  might 
have  been  assigned  to  me!  How  will- 
ingly would  I  have  held  the  ladder  at 
the  Cross'  foot;  or,  as  I  stood  below, 
have  handed  up  the  pincers  for  the 
drawing  of  the  nails;  or  even  a  helping 
hand  to  those  who  were  lowering  the 
Sacred  Corpse.  What  happiness  would 
it  have  been  if  I  could  have  stood  be- 
neath the  Cross,  so  close  to  it  as  to  have 
caught  in  my  bosom  one  of  the  falling 
nails,  which  I  might  have  kept  as  a 
memorial  of  my  Lord's  Passion,  that  so, 
whenever  I  should  look  upon  it,  I  might 
be  moved  to  tears. 

I  praise  and  glorify  Thee  for  that 
longing  embrace  with  which  Thy  most 
sorrowful  Mother  received  Thee  into 
her  arms,  and  folded  Thee  therein, 


26  THOUGHTS  ON  HOLY  WEEK 


when  with  compassionate  devotion  Thy 
faithful  ones  delivered  Thee  to  her, 
and  laid  Thee  in  her  Virgin  lap.  How 
copious  were  the  tears  that  then 
streamed  from  those  eyes,  of  all  eyes 
the  purest;  how  burning  was  the  flood 
that  then  bedewed  that  face,  of  all  faces 
the  most  modest,  and  fell  from  Thy 
Mother's  cheeks  upon  Thy  Corpse! 
How  pure  were  the  kisses  with  which 
Thy  chaste  Mother  then  covered  Thy 
lifeless  limbs;  how  often,  and  with  what 
anguish,  did  she  examine  the  prints  of 
Thy  Sacred  Wounds!  How  loving 
were  the  arms  with  which  she  encircled 
and  held  the  Blessed  Fruit  of  her  womb, 
that  Fruit  Which  she  had  seen  sacri- 
ficed upon  the  Altar  of  the  Cross  for  the 
Redemption  of  mankind !  Who  is  there 
among  the  Saints  who  could  tell  forth 
the  copiousness  of  those  tears  which 
the  tender  Mother  of  Jesus  at  that  time 
shed,  or  could  understand  the  full  agony 
of  her  grief? 

Draw  near,  then, 

now  my  soul,  and  devoutly  kiss  the 
blood-red  Wounds  of  Jesus.    As  He 


THOUGHTS  ON  HOLY  WEEK  27 


hung  nailed  to  the  Cross  thou  couldst 
not  come  near  to  Him  for  the  pressure 
of  the  crowd  and  the  height  of  the 
Cross;  but  now  He  lies  before  Thee  in 
His  weeping  Mother's  arms,  dead  and 
covered  with  Wounds.  Draw  near,  O 
sinner,  however  great  thy  sinfulness, 
however  much  the  fear  of  Hell  op- 
presses thee;  for  it  was  for  thee  that  the 
Lamb  was  slain;  it  was  for  thee  that 
the  Victim  was  offered,  Which  has 
taken  away  the  sin  of  all  the  world. 
So  loving  and  merciful  is  the  Lord 
Jesus,  so  tender  and  so  sweet  is  Mary 
His  Mother,  that  none  can  depart  un- 
comforted,  none  go  away  empty,  who 
with  his  whole  heart  shall  have  asked  to 
be  forgiven. 

Here,  then, 

by  the  Tomb,  do  thou,  O  my  soul,  for  a 
while  abide,  so  as  to  join  the  holy  wom- 
en in  mourning  over  the  Lord  Jesus, 
Who  for  thy  sake  was  laid  in  the  grave. 
Fitting  indeed  is  it  that  thou  shouldst 
pay  thy  tribute  of  grief  to  Him,  at 
Whose  hands  thou  dost  hope  one  day 
to  receive  the  reward  of  joy  eternal. 


28  THOUGHTS  ON  HOLY  WEEK 


Think  how  intense  was  the  grief  of  all 
Christ's  faithful  ones,  and  specially  of 
the  holy  women,  at  seeing  Jesus  taken 
from  them,  and  laid  in  a  tomb — Christ 
for  love  of  Whom  they  had  given  up  all 
that  they  had.  Whom  they  had  fol- 
lowed hither  and  thither  for  so  long,  to 
Whom  they  had  so  often  ministered  of 
their  substance,  Whom  they  had  loved 
so  tenderly  that  they  could  scarce  bring 
themselves  to  lose  His  sweet  presence 
for  even  a  short  moment;  with  Whom 
they  longed  ever  to  live  and  to  hold 
sweet  converse,  and  through  Whom 
they  believed  that  joy  everlasting  would 
be  theirs.  The  more  intense  their  love, 
the  more  bitter  surely  will  have  been 
their  grief. 

But  what  above  all  rent  the  hearts  of 
these  sorrowing  ones  was  the  thought 
that  the  hope  of  their  Lord's  rising 
again  seemed  to  be  at  an  end ;  and  that 
their  faith  was,  so  to  speak,  buried  with 
Jesus  in  the  tomb.  It  seemed  therefore 
to  these  poor  women  that  the  only  com- 
fort left  them  was  to  weep  over  Him 
Who  had  been  taken  from  them,  or  to 
make  ready  sweet  spices;  that  so  if  they 


THOUGHTS  ON  HOLY  WEEK  29 


could  not  bring  Him  back  to  life,  they 
might  at  least,  by  their  faithful  service 
in  embalming  It,  preserve  His  Body 
from  decay.  But,  O  holy  and  devoted 
women,  ye  who  love  Christ  with  an  un- 
quenchable love,  do  not,  I  pray  you, 
lament  overmuch;  do  not  give  way  to 
despair;  call  to  mind  the  words  which 
Jesus  Himself  spoke  to  you  when  He 
was  in  Galilee,  and  wait  yet  a  while  for 
their  fulfillment;  for  after  three  days 
He  will  without  doubt  rise  again.  Then 
quite  plainly  and  with  great  joy,  shall 
ye  again  see  Him,  over  Whose  burial, 
with  spirits  utterly  broken  and  with 
such  sad  hearts,  ye  are  now  lamenting. 
Then  shall  the  hearts  of  all  His  friends, 
who  so  deeply  mourn  His  Death  and 
Burial,  be  filled  with  renewed  joy;  nor 
will  He  need  this  embalmment  of  yours, 
for  when  He  rises  from  the  dead  He 
will  appear  in  great  glory.  He  will  have 
put  on  immortality,  and  death  shall  no 
more  have  dominion  over  Him. 

Learn  thou,  too, 

0  my  soul,  from  the  Burial  of  Jesus  to 
meditate  with  profit  upon  the  dissolu- 


30  THOUGHTS  ON  HOLY  WEEK 


tion  of  thy  own  body.  Needs  must  that 
what  from  the  earth  thou  didst  receive, 
that  to  the  earth  thou  must  restore: 
dust  thou  art  and  to  dust  shalt  thou  re- 
turn. Upon  what  then  dost  thou  pride 
thyself,  thou  who  must  soon  be  mere 
rottenness,  and  a  thing  hidden  out  of 
sight  in  the  ground?  What  seest  thou 
to  yearn  after  in  a  world,  out  of  which 
thou  must  so  soon  be  cast,  trodden  under 
foot  of  men  ?  Whenever  then  thou  look- 
est  upon  the  graves  of  the  dead,  re- 
member that  thou,  too,  wilt  soon  be  with 
them.  There — and  thou  knowest  it  well 
— there  is  the  home  appointed  for  every 
one  that  liveth.  There,  laid  low  to- 
gether, content  with  a  mere  corner  of 
earth,  shall  the  rich  man  and  the  poor 
man  share  one  bed.  There  prince  and 
peasant  cannot  be  known  the  one  from 
the  other,  and  the  strong  and  the  weak 
are  upon  the  same  footing.  There  the 
miser's  wealth  will  not  profit  him;  nor 
will  the  crafty  man  be  helped  by  all  his 
cunning.  There  the  epicure  will  be  food 
for  worms,  and  the  fop  will  stink  in  the 
nostrils  of  the  passer-by.  There  the 
loftiness  of  men  will  be  bowed  down. 


THOUGHTS  ON  HOLY  WEEK  31 


and  the  counsel  of  the  haughty  ones  will 
be  brought  to  nought.  Remember  that 
nothing  mortal  can  endure  forever,  and 
that  man,  having  corrupted  his  nature 
by  sin,  must  needs  go  back  to  the  slime 
from  which  he  was  taken. 

Strive  so  to  live  in  this  present  world, 
and  so  to  mortify  by  the  spirits  the 
deeds  of  the  flesh,  that  when  thy  body 
is  mouldering  in  the  dust  thy  soul  may 
be  found  meet  to  rest  in  a  home  of 
blessed  peace.  Spend  the  Good  Friday 
of  this  life  in  painfulness  and  toil,  and 
thou  shalt  have  a  Holy  Saturday  of 
rest,  and  an  Easter  of  joy  unspeakable 
at  the  resurrection  of  the  just.  The 
stricter  therefore  thy  life  in  this  world, 
the  calmer  shall  be  thy  sleep  in  the 
tomb;  the  stronger  now  thy  hold  upon 
the  Cross,  the  greater  shall  be  thy  con- 
fidence when  thou  comest  into  the  pres- 
ence of  Christ.  The  more  bitter  now 
thy  sorrow  for  thy  sins,  the  fewer  of 
them  will  there  be  to  be  purged  away 
by  the  avenging  fire. 

Bewail  then,  bewail  now  thy  sins, 
while  the  day  of  grace  is  thine,  while 
the  door  of  mercy  stands  open,  while 


32         THOUGHTS  ON  HOLY  WEEK 


God,  with  Whom  is  plenteous  Redemp- 
tion, is  ready  to  accept  thy  penitence. 
Bewail  also  the  unhappy  condition  of 
the  world,  and  that  grievous  softness  of 
men,  whence  it  comes  that  so  few  true 
followers  of  the  Crucified  are  to  be 
found,  and  that  the  spiritual  fervor  of 
so  many  soon  grows  cold. 

Henceforth,  then,  be  it  thy  daily  prac- 
tice to  meditate  upon  Christ  Jesus.  Him 
Crucified  keep  ever  before  thy  eyes; 
stand  ever  beneath  thy  Savior's  Cross; 
in  life  and  in  death  be  with  Jesus  in  the 
Tomb;  that  so  when  Christ,  thy  life, 
shall  appear,  thou,  too,  mayest  rise  with 
Him  in  glory.  Amen. 


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